The Special Collections Department of the Tampa Library, University of South Florida seeks papers from graduate students and recent M.A. or Ph.D. recipients for its Third Annual Sacred Leaves Graduate Symposium. This year’s theme is Comparative Mysticism of the Middle Ages: Textual Traditions, 1000-1600. We encourage topics on mystical expressions in the medieval world comparing religions, cultures and/or gender.

Subjects for proposals may include, but are not limited to:· Poetry and lyric· Cross-cultural and religious influences· Manuscript illumination· Spain, Iberia and beyond· Mystical forms of dissent and their repression· The role of mystic in society

Please email an abstract of no more than 250 words to Dr. Jane Marie Pinzino, Symposium Coordinator at jpinzino@lib.usf.edu by November 14, 2008. Notification of acceptances will be emailed by November 28, 2008. Please include the title of your paper, name, affiliation and email address. Each paper selected will be allotted 20 minutes for presentation.